Accessing stored ultrasound images and other digital medical images

Abstract

A system and method are provided for accessing stored ultrasound images and other digital medical images. A client application sends a request comprising information identifying a unique medical study to a server application. The information identifying a particular study can be in the form of a patient accession number and can be provided to the client application with a keyboard or an automatic information reader, such as a bar-code reader, a camera, or a voice recognition device. Upon receiving the request, the server application automatically sends the client application a digital medical image associated with the study. The client application then displays the digital medical image to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for accessing and displaying a digital medical image, said method comprising the steps of: (a) sending a request comprising information identifying a medical study from a client application to a server application, said information not being provided by the server application; then   (b) using the server application to automatically send the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said request; and then   (c) using the client application to display said digital medical image.   
     
     
       2. A method for accessing and displaying a digital medical image, said method comprising the steps of: (a) sending a user request comprising information identifying a medical study from a client application to a server application, said user request being the only user request sent from the client application during the accessing-and-displaying process to identify said medical study; then   (b) using the server application to automatically send the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said user request; and then   (c) using the client application to display said digital medical image.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of manually providing said information to the client application with a keyboard. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of automatically providing said information to the client application with an automatic information reader. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of automatically providing said information to the client application with a bar-code reader. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of automatically providing said information to the client application with a digital camera. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of automatically providing said information to the client application with a voice recognition device. 
     
     
       8. A method for accessing and displaying a digital medical image using a bar-code reader, said method comprising the steps of: (a) using a bar-code reader to automatically input information identifying a medical study into a client application; then   (b) sending a request comprising said information from the client application to a server application; then   (c) using the server application to automatically send the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said request, and then   (d) using the client application to display said digital medical image.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, wherein said request is the only request sent from the client application during the accessing-and-displaying process to identify said medical study. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) comprises the step of using said bar-code reader to read a bar-code image on a medical chart. 
     
     
       11. A method for forming a request for a medical study, said method comprising the steps of: (a) using a bar-code reader to read a bar-code image comprising information identifying a medical study; and then   (b) using a client application, coupled with the bar-code reader, to form a request for a medical study using said information.   
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, wherein said request is the only request formed by the client application during a digital medical image accessing-and-displaying process to identify said medical study. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for forming a request for a medical study, said apparatus comprising: a bar-code reader operative to read a bar-code image comprising information identifying a medical study; and   a client device, coupled with the bar-code reader, comprising a client application operative to form a request for a medical study using said information.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said request is the only request formed by the client application during a digital medical image accessing-and-displaying process to identify said medical study. 
     
     
       15. A system for accessing a digital medical image comprising: a client device comprising a client application;   a server device, coupled with the client device, comprising a server application;   means, included in the client device, for sending a request comprising information identifying a medical study from the client application to the server application, said information not being provided by the server application; and   means, included in the server application, for automatically sending the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said request.   
     
     
       16. A system for accessing a digital medical image comprising: a client device comprising a client application;   a server device, coupled with the client device, comprising a server application;   means, included in the client device, for sending a user request comprising information identifying a medical study from the client application to the server application, said user request being the only user request formed by the client application during the accessing process to identify said medical study; and   means, included in the server application, for automatically sending the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said user request.   
     
     
       17. The invention of claim 15 or 16, further comprising means, included in the client device, for displaying said digital medical image. 
     
     
       18. The invention of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a bar-code reader, coupled with the client device, operative to input said information into the client application. 
     
     
       19. The invention of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a digital camera, coupled with the client device, operative to input said information into the client application. 
     
     
       20. The invention of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a voice recognition device, coupled with the client device, operative to input said information into the client application. 
     
     
       21. A system for accessing a digital medical image using a bar-code reader comprising: a client device comprising a client application;   a bar-code reader, coupled with the client application, operative to input information identifying a medical study into the client application;   a server device, coupled with the client device, comprising a server application;   means, included in the client device, for sending a request comprising said information from the client application to the server application; and   means, included in the server application, for automatically sending the client application a digital medical image associated with said medical study in response to said request.   
     
     
       22. The invention of claim 21, wherein said request is the only request formed by the client application during the accessing process to identify said medical study. 
     
     
       23. The invention of claim 21 further comprising means, included in the client device, for displaying said digital medical image. 
     
     
       24. The invention of claim 1, 2, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, or 21, wherein said digital medical image comprises an image created by a modality selected from the group consisting of ultrasound, computed radiography, magnetic resonance, angioscopy, color flow Doppler, cystoscopy, diaphanography, echocardiography, fluoresosin angiography, laparoscopy, magnetic resonance angiography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, x-ray angiography, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, biomagnetic imaging, culposcopy, duplex Doppler, digital microscopy, endoscopy, fundoscopy, laser surface scan, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, radiographic imaging, thermography, radio fluroscopy, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       25. The invention of claim 1, 2, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, or 21, wherein said information comprises a patient accession number.